One Rep at a Time

A spontaneous challenge on the monkey bars turned into an unexpected breakthrough. This post explores the moment I surprised myself and what it revealed about identity, fear, and finding the courage to move forward with purpose in the midst of change.

Chin-up.

While on a walk with my daughter, we passed a playground. She pointed at the monkey bars and asked, “Mom, can you do a chin-up?”
“Nope,” I said. “But it’s a goal I’ve never really worked toward.”

Without missing a beat, she pulled up a TikTok she’d saved with a video breaking down the steps to build up to a chin-up.

Step one: hang for 30 seconds. So I did it. It hurt. But I did it.

Then she said, “Okay, let’s try step two.” And for some reason, I paused… then said, “Maybe I should just try the chin-up.”

And then I did it. A full chin-up. I completely shocked myself.

We even recorded chin-up #2, because yes, there was a second one. And yes, I’m still riding the adrenaline rush. And then in a moment only a 15-year-old can deliver, my daughter asked, “I wonder how long you have been able to do a chin-up?”

As we walked home, I told her about the voice in my head. The one from gym class years ago, where I was the kid who couldn’t climb the rope. The one who always finished last. That voice said, “Don’t try. Stay safe.”

On a random Thursday night, I met that voice with proof. The voice meant well, but boy was she wrong.

I am in a career transition, moving toward a completely different path than my previous 25 years in the workforce. I am nervous about launching this business. Thoughts of going back to corporate tend to enter when these nerves rachet up.

But what the chin-up taught me is that sometimes the fear isn’t about failure. It’s about letting go of the identity that kept us safe.

Coaching is what I’m meant to do.
The signs are showing up loud and clear.
So, here’s to listening. Trusting. Trying.

Even if it’s just one rep at a time.

Image: Still frame from the video capturing my second chin-up.